Four-wheel floor-jack



A. DVDSN AND1. R HANDY'. FOUR WHEEL mos JACK FOR Amon/105mm. APPLICATIN FILED JANWT! i918. v

fzltcn'vd Nov. 1l, 191212 W3 SHETSSHEET I.

1. A. DAVIDSON AND1. R. HANDY.

FOUR WHEEL HOOR JACK FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPJUCANON man mm1, |918.

Pal'tmmfd Nm'. M, Mw,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

am 6, l 2 8, 1L

4 J'. A. DAVIDSON AN R. HANDY. FOUR WHEEL FLOOR JACK FUR UTOMUBHS. APPLICAUON ma mm. 11. wia.

3 SHEETS--SHEET 3.

unirsi) sierras PATENT onirica.

JAMES al DAVIDSON AND JOHN a. HANDY, or LVELAND, cotoaano.

FOUR-WHEEL IFLDR-J'ACK FOR AUTOMBILES.

T0 all lwhom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMEs A. DAVIDSON Y and JOHN R. HANDY, citizens or. the United.

'States residing at Loveland, county of Larimer, and State of Colorado, have in# vented certain new and useful Improvements in Four-Vlhe'el Floor-Jacks for Automobiles; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled medium of its own power maybe raised to prevent it from resting uponthe tires when Astanding in a garage.' It is well known that where an automobile stands for `any consid.v

crable length of time and the fweight is sup` ported by the tires, thattlie tires are badly injured under such conditions, thusmaking it highlydesirable that the machine be supported from its axles rather than from its tires. Heretofore, so far as we ai'e aware, no provision has been made for simultaneously and automatically lifting the four wheels of the automobile from the door of a garage or other surface. Of course, the

process of lifting the wheels' by the use of the ordinary hand .jacks is slow,l laborious and unsatisfactory. A

Hence, our object is to providea construe tion, whereby through the medium ,of the power of the automobile engine, the niachine may be raised sufficiently to prevent thev weight from resting upon' the tires of y ment:

the wheels, Vthe weight in such event restingupon supports which engage the two axles at the opposite extremities tli ereof.

In the accompanying drawing in'which is illustra-ted an embodiment of t'he improve- Figure l is a top plan .View of our improved floor jack, the casing of the structure being partly broken awayto facilitate the disclosiirepfthe mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2, Fig. 1 looking toward the right, the part-s being shown on a much larger scale.

Fig. 3 isa side View of the structure showing an automobile in place.

Specification of Letters Patent. vvIli'lftengd NQV, Application med January i1, 191s. serial No. 2i1,44s.

Fig. 4 is a section taken Fig. 6 is a-sectioii taken on'theline 6 6,

Fig. 2 looking towardthe right.

F ig. '7 isa 'side elevation partly in section showing one member of the toggle structure, F ig. 8 is a top plan View of the same or a view looking in the direct-ion of arrows Fig. 9 is a perspective view of one of the 'shoes or bearing members which engage theaxles when the structure is in use.

Fig. l0 is a die elevation of the ratchetand pawl mechanism for manuallyv actu,-

ating the jack, being a view looking in the direction of the arrows 10-10, Fig. 11.

Fig. 11 is a section taken on the line 11'-11', Fig. 10, the parts being shown on a larger scale.

The saine refere'nce characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numerals 5 and 6 respectively designate the rear end front members of our improved Hoor jack, said members being connected by means of a longitudinally disposed beam 7 which is rigidly connected with'the rea-r member 5 by braces 8, while the member 6 is adjustably connected with the said beam and ,movable longitudinally thereof, the inner extremity of two braces 9 which are connected with the forward member being also secured to a part l() which is perforated, as shown at 12, to register with the perforations 13 formed in the beam. The forward member may be fastened to the connecting beam by placing tering perforations 19. and 13 when the member 6 is properly adjusted to correspond with the length of the automobile.

a pin in regis- The rear member 5 consists of a casing 14 i which is tapered on its front and rear sides. as shown at 15, to facilitate the running of the automobile upon and off the structure. The casing is exteriorly closed at its opposite ends, as shown at 16. and in these closure members are journaled two transversely arranged shafts 17 and 1S upon each of which is made fastone ol two rollers 19 whose periphcries are preferably gi'ooved to approximately fit the curvature oi the tires 20 of the wheels; of the automobile. each pair of rollers being spaced. as shown at 2l.

to allow the tires to pass downwardly tlierc- I 24 equipped with rig it and left threads 26 Vblocks 28 is provided.

and .27 which respectively engage two blocks 28 which are threaded to receive. and coperate with the screw threads of the shaft to cause the blocks to travel in a transversel direction either outwardly for the purpose of raising the machine or inwardly for 'the purpose of lowering the latter. The casing '14 is provided at its bottom with channel shaped tracks 39 which are engaged by small rollers 30 with which each of the The opposite extremities of the screw shaft :24 are journaled in parts 31 of the casing which are inwardly spaced from the exterlor end parts 16, the two paiis of rollers 19 heilig positioned in the spaces between the parts 16 and 31,V the latter being arranged in parallel relation. Each of the blocksl 28 has pivotally connected thereto at one extren'nty, as shown at 32,'a link or toggle member posite extremity is pvotally connected 'as shown at 34 with one extremity of a second toggle member 37. the opposite extremity of the'latter-being pivotally connected as shown at'36'V with a statirmary the channel shaped tracks 39. ,Any suitable provision may be iliade for mounting the members npon the casing of the structure in such a manner that these parts. together with the channel shaped tracks 39 are relatively stationary. A' Mounted'on the shaft 18 is a brake drum l() aronndwliich is \\'rapped. preferably by a single convolution, a brake band or cable' 41, one extremity7 ot this cable heilig secured to the casing. as shown at 42. while its opposite extremity is connected as shown at 43 with an arm -L- lof a bell crank lever 45 whose opposite arm is pivotally connected, as shown at 46, with a rod 4T whose opposite extrem-n ity is fashioned. a' gaged by a block 8 as the latter is moved inwardly for the purpose of loweringr the automobile to cause it to -bear upon its tires preparatory to removing the same from the floor jack. As one of the blocks 28 o the rear member 5 moves inwardly or toward the right` referring toFig. 2, just before reaching its limit of inward movement, it will engage the head i8 of the rod 4T and actuate the lever 45 to tiglitemtbe brake band or cable on the drum 40 and lock the shaft 18, and consequently, the other rotary parts ot the member against movement when the blocks 28 and their 'connections have the rear member 5 is mounted 33 whose fop-v` support Il?" composed ot two approximately triangular plates 38, the'support 3T beingdocated near the .center of the member S'. the lower extremities of the plates Bn-iiigsecured to shown at 48. to be enl .ward travel, and consequently, as soon as the brake band locks the rotary parts of the jack against further inmexnentr` the machine will bach oft Afrom the, jack and move out of the garage. Upon the screw shaft 24 ot' and made tastl a bevel gear 49 which meshes with a similar gear 5() fast on a shaft member 51 whose opposite extremity telescopes in a sleeve 32, the end of the shaft heilig preferably squared to engage an opening of counterpart shape with which the sleeve is provided its entire length. A shaft member 53 also telescopes in the same sleeve and is intel-locked therewith in thasame manner` the opposite end of Vthe shaft member 53 having a gear 5l whichmeshes with-a' similar gear fast on a\shal"t o6 provided with right and le ft threads, the

same as the screw shaft 24, said threads engaging bloclis :'28 in the same manner as the screw shaft 24 of the rear member Furthermore, the blocks 2Sof the forward member 6 are respectively connected with toggle members 33 and 35 which are mounted inthe same manner as those of the rear member as heretofore explained. Each toggle ot' each front and rear member .3 and .d carries .a shoe 57 which is threaded 'into a block 58 removably mounted in one of the toggle members 33and-35 as may be desired. lln the drawing, the member 35 is provided with a number of openings 59? each of which is adapted to receive the member 58 which lits snugly therein and is locked against rotation, the part -58 being pol ygonal in cross section and the openings 59 ot' counterpart shape. The part 58 is also provided with a wedge shaped flange 5t) which limits its movement in the opening 59 and is also shaped to flatly engage the top of the toggle member when the threaded shank 60 ot' the shoe 57 is in proper position. The threaded shank (30 is adjustable in the part 58 to varv the height-of the shoe as different heights may be refpuredl when the. jack is used with different automobiles. Each shoe 57 is l shaped to engage the corresponding axle axle and two for the front-axle, each toggle carrying an adjustableshoe 5i' adapted to engage the axle of the machine. i

By reason of the fact that the two haft members 51 and telescope in the sleer 52, the two members :land ot the jack may be' moved toward or away from cach other as may be required with automobiles whose axles are differently spaced, while at the same time the two screw shafts of the members 5 and 6 will still be connected in operative relation.

From the foregoing description, the use and operation of 'our improved floor jack will be readily understood. rl`his jack will be located upon the floor of the garage where the automobile is to be kept. As the machine is driven into the garage it is run upon the -jack and as the engine continues its movement to rotate the rear wheels in the forward direction, these wheels will engage and operate the four rollers lf) of the rear member 5 and operate the shafts 17 ,and 1S which cooperateI through the medimn of the gears 22 and 23 to rotate the screw shaft 2t and through the medium of the gears 49, 50, 54 and 55', the shafts 51 and aud the sleeve 52 to rotate the screw shaft 56 of the forward member C, wherebyv the four blocks 28 are caused to move outwardly, the two pairs in opposite directions, whereby the toggles are actuated to cause the shoes 57 to engage the two axles of the machine, whereby the lat-ter are elevated to cause the weight of the machine to rest upon the jack, whereby Vthe tires are -relieved from pressure. In case it is desired, to raise any 'wheel farther from. the jack than would be its normal condition, a hand spike may be inserted in one or more openings 61 with which each threaded shank 60 of the .slices 5T is provided.- In this way the shoe may be elevated to further lift the end of either axle, thus making it practicable to remove the tire from any wheel whenever it is desirable or necessary to do so. Again, the entire mechanism ma be actuated to further lift the automobile a ove the jack by means of a ratchet and pawl arrangement consisting,r of a'lever 62 carrying a pawl 63 whlch' engages a ratchet wheel 64 with which one extremity-of the shaft is provided (see Fig. 2 By operating this lever the shaft 18 and the two screw shafts 24 and 56 maybe manually operated to further lift the machine after .the rear wheels are raised sufficiently z bove the rollers 19 to prevent further automatic operation of the structure.

Attention is called to the fact that. while we have described one specific mechanism for lifting the automobile through the medium of the rollers 19 when engaged by the wheels of the auton'iobile, it must be undc1 stood that the invention is not limited to this specific structure, since other connections between these rollers and the auto- .mobile may be employed without departing from the spirit ot' the invention.

The lever 02 has a bifurcated lower extremity which straddles the ratchet or toothed wheel 64 and is journaled on the hub of said wheel which has a square perforation to receive the` squared end of the shaft 18. Hence, the lever` pawl and wheel are readily removable from the squared end of the shaft and as readily applied as case 'may require.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. A floor jack fory motor vehicles comprisinpY a base adapted to be movably mounted on a lloor, a roller in said base adapted to be engaged by a pow/er wheel ofa vehicle, a shaft operatively connected with said roller, 'said shaft having,r a worm gear, va block through which said worm gear extends, said block being slidable horizontally in said base, toggles connected with said block, and means connected with said toggles to'engage an axle of the vehicle and adapted to be raised by said toggles to elevate said axle.

2. A Hoor jack for motor vehicles cornprising a base, a roller in said base .adapted to be engaged'by a power wheel of a vehicle, a shaft with which said roller is operatively connected, said shaft having a worm gear, a block in which said worm gear operates, said block being slidable in said base, and liftingr means connected with said block and adapted tov engage the vehicle.

3. A Hoor jack for motor vehicles comprisingr a base, a roller in said base adapted to be engaged by a power wheel of a motor vehicle, braking mechanism operatively con- -nected with said roller, a shaft operatively connected with said roller, a slidable block operable through the medium. of sald shaft. litt-nipr means connected with said block, and

operating means for said braking mechanism adapted to be operatedfby said block.

le A door jack for motor vehicles coinprising a base, a roller in said base adapted tol be engaged by a power wheel of a motor vehicle, a shaft on which said roller is mounted, a brake member on said shaft,"

braking mechanism coperating with said member, a worm gear operatively connected with said shaft, a slidable block 1n which said worm gear operates, lifting means con'- nected with sa-id block, and operating nuians .for said braking mechanism adapted trl be operated bylsaid block when at the limit ot its n'iovement in one direction.

In testimony whereof we aliix our signatures.

JAMES A. DAVIDSON. JOHN R. HANDY. v

fics 

